BSR Appoints Diederik Timmer as new President and CEO
Transition Occurs September 1, Following Carefully Planned Search Led by BSR Board
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- BSR is delighted to announce that Diederik Timmer has been named the new President and CEO, succeeding longtime leader Aron Cramer. Diederik will assume the role on September 1, and he will be based in New York.
Timmer, a 20-year leader in sustainable business, joins BSR following a distinguished career including leadership roles as President at Glass Lewis & Co, EVP at Morningstar Sustainalytics, Chair of US Social Investment Forum (US SIF), and service as a board member at Knology.
Throughout his career, Timmer has served in client and member-centric roles, including leadership of the commercial side at Morningstar Sustainalytics for 17 years, during which time he oversaw rapid growth and geographic expansion, and built out Sustainalytics' corporate solutions business. He is an innovator who has built corporate solutions and climate offerings at Sustainalytics, and most recently set up and launched climate intelligence at Glass Lewis using human-centric AI to support analyst evaluations of corporate transition strategies and their execution.
Diederik is a New York-based global citizen, originally from the Netherlands, who has lived and worked for the past 12 years in the US. His experience includes leading the global buildout of Sustainalytics.
BSR Chair Peter Herweck said, “The board is very pleased to welcome Diederik Timmer as the next President and CEO of BSR. Diederik brings an outstanding wealth of experience and a proven track record in business, sustainability, and technology. This long-planned transition comes at a time of substantial change in the market, where BSR is prepared to lead. The board is extremely thankful for Aron Cramer’s excellent decades-long leadership of BSR in forming and leading the organization to what it is today, a thought leader and trusted partner in the field of sustainable business. As we prepare for this transition, we remain committed to our mission to work with business to create a just and sustainable world.”
In seeking the right person to lead BSR into the future, the board sought a proven business leader with deep experience in sustainability, someone who is deeply client and member-centric, understands what it means to run a member organization, brings an innovator's track record, has experience and sensitivity to sustainability across global markets, and embraces the use of data and new technologies, in addition to providing leadership consistent with BSR’s values.
Diederik Timmer, incoming President and CEO of BSR added, “I've followed BSR, and Aron's leadership for nearly two decades. What BSR has built is unique: a network of more than 250 member companies and three decades of trusted thought leadership. Corporations are navigating meaningful change in how the world thinks about sustainability, just as smart technologies reshape how they compete, and the moment demands an innovative partner who can help with both strategy and implementation. I'm looking forward to driving that work forward together with our members, our funders, and the broader BSR network.”
Aron Cramer is stepping down from his role as CEO after 31 years at BSR, and 22 leading the organization. He joined BSR in 1995 as the founding director of its Business and Human Rights Program, and in 2002 opened BSR’s first European office in Paris. During that time, BSR has become a larger and more global organization, building the organization’s role as a trusted advisor for its 250+ member companies, and a collaboration leader and partner with many companies, funders, and other key actors in the sustainable business ecosystem.
“Leading BSR has been an utter privilege,” said Aron Cramer. “The opportunity to work with so many great colleagues, our network of member companies, and so many like-minded partners in every corner of the world has been more than I could have imagined when I joined BSR more than 30 years ago. Together, we have made so much progress in that time. I know that Diederik is the right person to take the baton and lead BSR into the future, and I am excited about what awaits him, our team, and our network as he begins his tenure and charts a path forward.”
Diederik will join BSR as its new CEO September 1. Aron will support the transition from that date as a Strategic Advisor. As we look ahead, BSR continues to serve its members, providing insight and advice, and leading collaborations from its offices in the US, Europe and Asia at a time when the framework conditions shaping the world are undergoing fundamental change.
About BSR® (Business for Social Responsibility®)
BSR® (Business for Social Responsibility®) is a sustainable business network that provides global insights, strategic advisory services, and collaborations to more than 250 member companies in Asia, Europe, and North America. BSR® helps its members to see a changing world more clearly, create long-term value, and scale impact.
David Stearns
BSR
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